Pitch Day 2015

Robotic ball: A Dallas start-up idea whose time has come

WEEK 9

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It’s a simple concept with multiple applications.

Omar Barlas is creating a robotic ball, called SensorSphere, which can be driven or tossed into a wide range of situations.

He believes the robotic ball is well-suited for the multi-billion dollar market in home security devices. Equipped with an HD camera, a Wi-Fi connection and a capability to be controlled remotely, the SensorSphere can be driven inside the house, “so you can monitor different sections of your home while you’re away,” Barlas said. The ball could be useful for first responders like firefighters, who could drive or toss the non-flammable SensorSphere into a burning building, hazardous materials disaster scene or other emergency situations.

In addition to the camera, the ball can be equipped with sensors that monitor temperature, smoke or poisonous gases, as well as relay that information to commanders.

Barlas also sees a market for the robotic ball in the home-inspection business. The ball can be driven into small crawl spaces under homes or in attics or air ducts.

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Barlas co-founded the company, Technology Solutions, earlier this year, after he moved from New York to Fort Worth. Married, with two young children, Barlas said he finds the Dallas-Fort Worth area a much easier place to raise a family, but which is also a place with a bustling business culture.

He jumped at the opportunity to work in the Tech Wildcatters startup program, which is a three-month boot camp for entrepreneurs looking to turn their vision for the next big thing into a real business. The focus of this program is on devices that can improve the safety of first responders, but which can also work in other markets as well. The five teams started June 8.

Barlas said he’s looking forward to next Thursday’s Pitch Day, in which the start-up teams will pitch their business concepts to potential investors. “Pitch Day,” he said, “is going to be our starting point to show the product to the rest of the world.”

Mission: Tech Wildcatters has partnered with the Department of Homeland Security and Center for Innovative Technology to find startups that are creating safer, more efficient products for first responders.